In the Dragon's Roost
by AmeStrom
Summary: Dudley finds a quiet refuge in a peaceful cafe'. The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- Round 3


Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this

story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Written for the **The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- Round 3**

CHASER 2: Write about your OTP dealing with a mental illness

OTP: Since I don't have one I simply picked a pairing that I liked which for this story is-

Cho Chang X Dudley Dursley

Additional Prompts:

10.(picture) wp-content/ uploads/ images/ crumpled .jpg (Remove the spaces. Only way I could make it show up.)

12.(word) coated

15.(creature) dragon

**In the Dragon's Roost**

Dudley frowned as he cradled the hot cup of coffee. His brows furrowed as he looked into the light creamish color. The smell and warmth calmed his fried nerves after yet another fight with his parents. He set down his cup with a hard clunk and ran a hand flusteredly through his blonde hair.  
He growled with sudden irritation and slammed his fist into the table causing the people at the next over table to jump. They turned in curiosity at the sudden loud noise. He glared and barked "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!". They quickly averted their gaze from the angry young man. He swiftly swiped his sweating palms on his jeans, his scowl deepened as he did.  
He found himself coming here more often. It was a quiet cafe' called the Dragon's Roost, nice place to have tea in Little Whinging. "Don't you think that was a bit rude?" queried a voice out of nowhere. Looking up he saw a girl with pitch black hair.  
He narrowed his eyes as irritation at her comment. "What does it matter if it was." he snapped.  
"I am just trying to help." she said irritation of her own surfacing in her voice.  
"WELL I DON'T WANT IT!" he snarled standing up violently and storming from the cafe'. The instant his foot hit the pavement outside remorse washed over him. He hadn't meant to let his anger get the best of him but now a days his temper was constantly getting the better of him.  
He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his blonde hair. This recurring habit was causing problems at his school as well. He took a sharp turn down the alley way headed back towards Privet Drive.  
Once he got home he quickly retired to his bedroom and slouched over his desk. School books were scattered across it. Having been suspended from school due to fighting he had quite a bit of homework piling up. After a while he gave up on trying to do anything productive and chucked his math book at the wall with grim satisfaction. It was two weeks later that he dared to return to the Dragon's Roost and sat down at one of the tables in the corner of the room. He had managed to get a cup of coffee without attracting attention to himself.  
"I am surprised to see you back here." spoke that soft sounding voice from before. He quickly looked up to see the very pretty girl approach him. Embarrassment from his action at their last encounter made him simple give a grunt as a reply. She took the seat across from him without asking and simply sat watching him.  
"Where did the bruising on your knuckles come from?" she asked, again trying to start a conversation. He looked down at his hands to see the bruised and swollen knuckles. He had another episode a couple of days ago and had taken his anger out on a brick wall. They weren't a pretty sight now but at least they weren't coated in someone elses blood. He shuddered at the memoirs that surfaced and twisted in the shadows of his mind.  
"I didn't start a fight!" he growled shifting so his hands were hidden under the table.  
"I didn't say-" she started but he interrupted he with a share retort.  
"Then stop being so annoying."  
She scowled when she stood and left the cafe' without another word._ "Great going..."_ he thought bitterly.

It was only a few more days before he returned to his small haven after another violent fight with his dad. Hunching slightly over the table, hood pulled down over his head. He could still feel the sting of a bruise forming over his left eye. He doubted that his father was better off since he knew he had gotten at least one hit in retaliation.  
"Maybe, you can be the Dragon's Roost very own brooding dragon." He looked up with a scowl at the young lady.  
"You're very persistent, aren't you?" She simply smiled in return to the comment and sat down across from him once again.  
After studying his hunched and bruised features she spoke softly, "Don't tell me it wasn't a fight this time."  
"I-It couldn't be helped.." he muttered his tone edging on helplessness.  
She frowned but this time it was tinged with sympathy, "There are ways to get help, you know?"  
He frowned at her words and furiously shook his head, "I d-don't need help! I'm fine." The last two words spoken with resentment.  
"If you're having problems at home... I'm sure things can be work out." she offered hopefully.  
Dudley let out a bite of cold laughter, "I hardly think so..."  
"Why?"  
At the one worded question he found himself thinking back over the past year. "You can't fix something in your own head that easy." He ran a hand lightly over the bruise on his brow. "Y-You can't run from it either…" his words trailing off as he fell into his own depressed thoughts.  
A ripping sound of paper caused him to jerk back to reality to see the lady put a piece of notebook paper and a pen in front of him.  
"Write your symptoms down on that."  
He sat and looked at her blankly for a moment before doing as he was told.  
After that he went to a doctor the paper in hand.

A week later he was back at the cafe' feeling better but far from fixed.  
"So?" He didn't even have to look up from his steaming cup of heaven to know who it was. Instead he pushed the chair next to him out in a silent invitation. She quickly sat down with her own drink clasped between her hands.  
"It went fine, got some pills and everything."  
"So they were able to diagnose the problem," she murmured a please tone in her voice.  
He grimaced at the light comment about his condition but didn't take offence. "Yeah." Looking up he said nervously, "W-Would you like to go out for something... I m-mean other than coffee."  
She smiled and nodded, "I would like that." After a pause she spoke again. "My name's Cho, by the way."  
"Dudley." Dudley replied.

It had been years since then. Dudley now had a family of his own and was sitting by his fireplace looking through some old papers of his. One in particular caught his attention and he pulled it out from the rest. It was a rumpled piece of notebook paper.

Easily irritated.  
Rage.  
Tremors.  
Feeling of pressure in the head.

He glanced over the rest before he crumpled it and tossed it away. It was time to finally move on. He couldn't be happier.

**Side Notes that people might find helpful:**

Dudley's problem is based off of IED- Intermittent explosive disorder. Its a behavioral disorder characterized by explosive outbursts of anger. These outbursts are disproportionate to the situation that trigger them. Road rage, domestic abuse, throwing or breaking objects, or other temper tantrums may be signs of intermittent explosive disorder. This disorder can be caused by the environment they were in as a child but can also be passed through genetics from parent to child.


End file.
